The Rantcor Pit #40 - Collect All 10!

It's Rancor Pit time again!  Yes Cole Houston and Eddie Mendina are back with a brand new episode!  Hot on the heels of last week's live show which was all about Hammerhead, your hosts were inspired talk about action figures.  Concentrating on one background character who's first (but by no means last) toy incarnation was a favorite certainly led to this week's topic.

A topic, in fact, so vast that this episode will simply be the first in a three-part series on The Rantcor Pit's favorite Star Wars toys!  Introducing this, your hosts have limited the discussion to their favorite vintage (1977 to 1985) action figures, further limiting it to just five choices each - hence the title!  This proved no small task as there were nearly 100 choices at their disposal and they had to exclude all of the vehicles, playsets, and other accessories of the Kenner line.

Discover for yourself what vintage action figures proved to be Eddie and Cole's favorites as they wax nostalgic about not only the toys themselves, but of their memories of collecting and enjoying the the hunt for the illusive figures in the pre-internet age.

All photos from the collection of JediCole.

Hey Kids, Comics! #150 - The Best Comics WE Ever Read

Hey kids, it's National Comic Book Day!

Welcome at long last to the much-anticipated 150th issue of Hey Kids, Comics!  Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston return from the late summer hiatus to bring you another milestone for this series.  It seemed only fitting to commemorate the event with a look at some comic stories that impressed your hosts.

From single issues to story arcs, and even entire series in a sense, some unique comic tales are discussed.  This very personal issue of the show is intended to inspire listeners to discover the comic stories discussed and perhaps seeking out where the titles went from the point outlined on this show.

Enjoy this follow up to Hey Kids, Comics! Annual #1 and the precursor to the first issue of a new series as Cole and Andy wax nostalgic about (some of) the best comics they ever read.

The Rantcor Pit Live #38 - Hammer Time!

This episode of The Rantcor Pit Live originally aired live on Deep Ellum on Air on Sunday, September 20, 2015.

When it comes to Star Wars characters, being at the forefront or having a tonnage of screen time are not necessarily prerequisites to becoming  a fan favorite.  Boba Fett made quite the splash with limited time on the big screen and even more limited dialogue after all!  Of course his introduction via the otherwise cringe-worthy Holiday Special did help boost the bounty hunter’s mystique.  Then there are the breakaway background characters.  One of the most unusual, eye-catching, and indeed popular began life in fandom simply as “Hammerhead”.

Momaw Nadon (aka Hammerhead) becomes the focus of a special edition of The Rantcor Pit Live as hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina pay tribute to the Ithorian visitor to Mos Eisley.  For JediCole the topic is especially close to his heart as he showcases his love of the curious alien through the medium of his ever-growing collection of Hammerhead memorabilia.  Eddie is not far behind in considering Momaw as easily his second favorite behind Greedo.  Even their guest, Catherine “Mrs. JediCole” Houston had some personal observations to share.

So is it possible to fill an entire hour of a Star Wars podcast with a single Cantina alien as the subject matter?  Of course it is!  Especially when it is everyone’s favorite Ithorian.  A character so popular in fact that he has enjoyed multiple incarnations as an action figure, two collectible mini-busts, and a variety of other cool collectibles.  Plus the discussion is not limited to this single representative of the Ithorian race!  Roron Corobb, the Jedi of this species, as well as other notable representatives outside of film and television wind up in the mix.  When it comes to Star Wars alien popularity, you “can’t touch this!”

Hey Kids, Comics! Will Return on Friday! Here Comes #150!

Owing to everything from work schedules to illness to time away on vacation, your HKC! hosts have had a roller coaster couple of weeks and as a result have not delivered on the 150th issue that has been promised.

Rather than present something "just to get it out there", or worse yet, have an Assistant Editor's Month, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston have opted to get rested, get well, and get their asses in gear to knock out the best sesquicentennial episode of this show possible!

We will return on Friday, September 25, 2015 with The Best Comic WE Ever Read, a precursor to the upcoming HKC! Quarterly, a new double-sized show to be produced four times a year! 

The Rantcor Pit #39 - The Force is Strong With This One? (Force Friday, Force Fizzle II)

Friday, September 4, 2015 was Force Friday, the highly anticipated and much promoted official release of the first Episode VII merchandise to retailers worldwide.  On September 3, 2015 The Rantcor Pit co-hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina descended on a Dallas/Fort Worth area Wal-Mart to chronicle the collecting feeding frenzy that was to ensue.  Finding that Toy Department ill-prepared, they then took the show on the road to a nearby Toys 'R' Us for further coverage.

On this episode, a follow up to the September 7 edition of The Rantcor Pit Live, your hosts are joined by former Ms. Star Wars Erica Facer as they talk about their experiences during the Force Friday event.  From lackluster preparation to poorly planned stocking-to-demand, many were the down sides to what could have been a memorable event.

Yet the morning did not prove a complete disaster and many a great collectible was obtained during the "midnight run" or later that morning.  Despite poor planning there was much to see and do during the course of the morning and different stores took vastly different approaches from "just another new SKU on the pegs" to thrilling fans and collectors alike.

In addition to this installment of the show, videos taken during the arrival at Wal-Mart and at Toys 'R' Us have been included below that help give a better feel for the excitement that waned at times when so much of the fanfare proved greater than what was provided.

The Rantcor Pit Live #37 - Force Friday, Force Fizzle

Where did Cole get those wonderful toys?!

Welcome to a brand new edition of The Rantcor Pit Live!  This episode aired a mere two days after "Force Friday", the opening salvo of the merchandising onslaught for Episode VII toys, apparel, games, housewares, decor, fabrics, and more.  Did we mention toys?

Hosts Cole "JediCole" Houston and Eddie Medina are joined in the studio of Deep Ellum on Air by none other than returning guest Vegabomer!  This intrepid trio share their experience with the Force Friday release as well as those reported by others online.  A massive "midnight madness" release was promised by Toys R Us, Target, and Wal-Mart and generated tremendous excitement among fans and collectors.

But did the massive three-pronged extravaganza deliver or just become the latest Force Fail?  From the first stop on the journey of The Rantcor Pit's hosts to the brilliant approach taken by the Disney Store in Dallas for their 6 AM Friday launch, the big event had its ups and downs.  For many, more downs than ups.

While only part of the greater tale of Force Friday is told (check out the Sunday, September 13th edition of the prerecorded show for more), there was certainly plenty to discuss on the subject of the massive volume of collectibles dropped into the retail market in one fell swoop!

The Rantcor Pit LIVE 09-06-15 by DeepEllumOnAir

Hey Kids, Comics! #149 - Ask Steve or Alicia

Relationships are tough, especially the romantic kind.  It is worse when your significant other is "married to their job".  But you have to magnify that dozens of times when one half of that equation is a super-hero!

Enter the ultimate love triangle.  Love between two people tempered by the necessities and demands of loving justice!  It is like taking all of the stresses involved with couples where one is in Law Enforcement with the addition of powers and tights!  What brings a "normal" person and a "super" together in the first place? And what keeps them together against all odds?

Hosts Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston take a look at some of the less obvious couplings that are every bit as important in comics as the Superman/Lois Land and Spider-Man/Mary Jane icons.